Don't Leave Me Again
by Sparxyu
Summary: Having no knowledge of modern surgery, Sai undergoes an appendectomy that scars him as he seeks Hikaru's comfort and support. My first Hikaru no Go fic, so PLEASE BE NICE!


**A/N: Hello, all! Sparxyu here! I recently decided that I like Hikaru no Go, but I never had the chance to write any fics about it, nor did any ideas ever occur to me..... until now. Yey! In short, this is my first ever Hikaru no Go fic, so could u guys please try mad cut me some slack??? Domo arigtaou (thank you very much)! Your support is much appreciated! This is NOT yaoi! The genre is strictly friendship/family, k? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat NOT own Hikaru no Go, Fujiwara no Sai or Hikaru Shindo. I cry laters. **

**Don't Leave Me Again**

**by: Sparxyu **

Stars brightly shone in the night sky of Tokyo as Hikaru Shindo and Sai Fujiwara slept that night. One was deeply asleep, but the other was not feeling his greatest.

Sai sat up in bed, a pain in the lower right of his abdomen making itself apparent. With a soft groan, he stood up and made his way into the bathroom, feeling as if he would vomit at any second. He removed his pajama shirt, put it on the counter and waited for the painful situation to take place.

The vomit never came.

Sighing, Sai crawled back into bed, intent on getting more sleep, but that obviously was not going to happen, as the pain wouldn't go away. He cuddled closer to Hikaru, thinking that perhaps the pain was caused by the cool temperature of the night air.

Ever since Sai had returned from the spirit world to live with Hikaru, he had been having horrible nightmares about going away-- fading-- again. So one night, he had asked Hikaru if he could sleep with him, because the boy calmed him.

At first, Hikaru had been a bit embarrassed by the idea, so he had given Sai one of his old stuffed toys, a much-beloved orange and gold koi fish, that he had had since he was small. It had absorbed Hikaru's scent over the years and Sai greatly appreciated the thoughtful gift, deciding to call it Rui.

But there were still some nights, like tonight, that were filled with sounds and sights of the modern world which both confused and frightened Sai. On nights like these, Hikaru turned the covers down and Sai would fall asleep beside him, comforted by Hikaru's presence. The boy would then stroke Sai's hair or back to lull him into slumber.

Finally, Sai was able to fall back asleep, cuddled against Hikaru's shoulder. A few hours later, he was awoken by someone gently shaking his shoulder.

"Sai?" a voice asked. "Sai, are you awake?"

_'Hikaru,'_ Sai registered subconsciously.

Hikaru shook Sai's shoulder again. "Come on, Sai. You need to wake up," Hikaru said impatiently. "Mom's making pancakes," he wheedled.

"No... not hungry..."

"Sai?" Hikaru was getting a bit worried now. Sai almost never refused his mother's pancakes. "Are you feeling all right?" Gripping his partner's shoulder, he gently turned him over. "Oh my gosh!"

Sai's face had turned to a pale pallor, with blotches of red covering his cheeks. His entire body was slick with sweat beneath his pajamas and he was shivering violently. Hikaru took Sai's hand in his and discovered that it felt cool to the touch. Moving his hand upward, Hikaru felt Sai's forehead. It was burning hot.

"My stomach really, really hurts," Sai murmured softly. "Badly. I don't want to eat anything. I'm sorry, Hikaru."

The boy offered a thin, worried smile. "It's okay. I'll go tell Mom that you're not feeling so hot. She'll come up in a few minutes with me to check on you, okay? You just get some rest until then." He stroked away the tangled strands of dark brown hair that clung to Sai's sweaty forehead with a damp washcloth and tucked a few more blankets around him.

Hikaru made his way downstairs into the kitchen, where his mother worked at cooking pancakes in a frying pan on the stove. "Mom?"

Mrs. Shindo looked up from her cooking. "Yes, dear?" she replied, turning to face her son. Seeing the worried expression on his face, she asked, "What's wrong, Hikaru?"

Hikaru stared at the white tiles that made up the kitchen floor. "Sai's really sick, Mom. He's got a fever, he's all pale, he's not hungry, he's tired and he says his stomach hurts really badly."

Mrs. Shindo turned off the burner on the stove, piling three pancakes on top of each other and putting them on a plate. "Hm," she murmured. "The poor dear." She addressed her son. "What's he doing right now?"

"Sleeping. I promised him we'd go up and check on him in a little while."

"Come on, then. We're going to go up and check on him right now." She led the way upstairs and knocked on Hikaru's bedroom door. "Sai?" she called softly. "Sai? Can we come in, honey?"

There was no answer, but she went in anyway and sat on the edge of the bed, gently shaking Sai's shoulder. "Wake up, Sai."

Sai's eyes fluttered open, revealing violet-blue orbs as he stared at Hikaru's mother. "Hello."

Mrs. Shindo smiled. "Hello, Sai," she returned. "Hikaru tells me you haven't been feeling too well lately. How do you feel now?"

"It hurts," Sai replied. "My stomach."

"Where does it hurt?"  
Sai took Mrs. Shindo's wrist in his hand and guided her hand to the lower right of his abdomen. "Right here." When Mrs. Shindo rubbed the spot gently, he cried out in pain.

"Hikaru, go to Sai's room and get one of his jackets," Mrs. Shindo ordered. "Make sure that it's a really warm one, ok?"

Hikaru didn't say anything; he merely did as he was told and returned a few minutes later, his own jacket wrapped around him. Looking into Sai's blue-violet eyes, he helped his partner with the coat he had selected.

"Hikaru?" Sai questioned, noticing an unreadable emotion in the boy's eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing, really." Hikaru picked up one of the blankets from the floor, toying with a stray thread on its edging. He folded it neatly and handed it to his mother, who had just reentered the room. "Think you can walk, Sai?"

"I think so." As Sai tried to stand, his legs gave out and he almost fell, but Hikaru caught him.

Taking his partner's hand in his, Hikaru wrapped Sai's arm around his shoulders and helped him stand. "Come on, let's get you out to the car."

They were in the car in a matter of seconds, the blanket resting on Sai's lap. It would take at least twenty minutes to get to the hospital and Sai had his head in Hikaru's lap, whimpering softly in pain.

As Mrs. Shindo looked in her rear-view mirror at the two of them, she saw the worry that was taking root in her son's eyes. She saw the way that the situation was affecting both him and Sai, how it was taking its toll on them both.

As Sai let out a cry, Hikaru felt his heartbeat accelerate and he moved a hand to Sai's back, rubbing it the way he did when the two of them were at home at night, when Sai's sleep was plagued with nightmares.

_'He's really, really sick. I hope everything will be all right.' _

**HikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGo**

Twenty-five minutes later, the three of them had arrived at the hospital. Mrs. Shindo helped Sai from the car and to the ER.

Once they had entered, a mermaid-like doctor with curly, chin-length auburn hair came up to them almost as soon as they arrived. Sympathy clouded her features among the interest in her dark, emerald-like turquoise eyes.

Tapping Mrs. Shindo on the shoulder after she had carefully lowered Sai into a chair, she motioned to Sai. "Is your son all right, ma'am?"

"I don't know." Mrs. Shindo's expression turned troubled. "He woke up this morning with a fever and abnormal stomach pains in the lower right region of his abdomen. I touched it and it seemed to hurt him a great deal."

"Oh, dear," she said quietly. "We'd better get him into the examination room. Come on. By the way, my name is Dr. Enki. My first name is Anai."

"I'm Hikaru Shindo and this is my mother, Anamiko." Hikaru wrapped one of Sai's arms around his neck and the other around his waist, helping him to his feet as the three of them entered a sterile, white room. Gently, he lowered his partner into a sitting position on the examination table.

"Nice to meet you, Hikaru and Anamiko, but who's your friend?" Dr. Enki asked, smiling at Sai.

"My name is Sai Fujiwara," Sai replied quietly, lowering his gaze to the floor.

Dr. Enki's lips curled in a soft smile. "Nice to meet you, Sai."

A small smile crossed Sai's lips, but he said nothing in response, turning his gaze to Hikaru's. The boy met it and sent a reassuring smile his way.

Dr. Enki had finished her examination by now. Uttering a curse beneath her breath, she said to Anamiko, "I'm afraid your son has appendicitis, ma'am. If we don't operate immediately, it could be fatal."

The next thing Hikaru knew, Sai was strapped to a gurney, his dark, violet-blue eyes wide with fear as Hikaru gripped his hand tightly in his. Hikaru had no time to explain what was going on; Sai was brought to the operating room and under the anesthesia before Hikaru could do a thing.

Before the doors closed, Sai's anguished, frightened cry reached his partner's ears. "HIKARUUUU!!"

And all that Hikaru could do was sink into one of the plastic chairs to wait, worry clouding his thoughts.

Guilt was what Hikaru felt along with the typical worry that came when one had a loved one whose life might be at stake. Guilt was what Hikaru felt. Guilt for not being able to explain to Sai what was going on and for how frightened Sai must be.

Turning to his mother, Hikaru excused himself and made his way into the bathroom, where his breathing became heavy and labored. He hardly felt the cold water that he splashed on his face as it mixed with the hot tears that frantically made their way down his cheeks.

In the operating room, Sai was panicking. The doctors unstrapped him from the gurney and carefully set him on the operating table. Beside the table, there was a cart that had a tray and a metal dish on its surface. The tray had many instruments laid out on it that Sai didn't recognize. One of them gleamed in the bright lights. It looked just like a knife.

_'Oh, my god,' _the former spirit thought. _'They are going to kill me. They are going to kill me and I will die.'_ A whimper escaped his throat and he struggled on the table, thrashing around.

"Mr. Fujiwara?" a voice asked. It was Dr. Enki. "We need you to calm down, so we can get this done and over with as soon as possible, okay?" She motioned and a thin woman with a kind smile and bright blue eyes stepped forward. "This is Dr. Aikaro. She'll be monitoring your anaethesia."

Dr. Aikaro stepped forward. "Hello, Sai. I'm going to give you a special medicine that will put you straight to sleep so you won't be able to feel any pain, okay? Before you know it, you'll wake up and everything will be just fine. I promise you. Are you ready?"

She slipped something over Sai's nose and mouth, telling him to breathe easily.

_'Hikaru.....' _Sai thought before he sank into darkness. He let out a choked sob and remained still.

**HikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGo**

Two and a half hours later, Dr. Enki exited the operating room and stood before them, a small, tired grin on her impish face.

"We managed to get his appendix out without a problem," she announced, pleased. "It was a good thing that we did it when we did. Otherwise, it might have burst."

Hikaru raised his head, worry in his tone. "What about Sai?"

Dr. Enki looked him straight in the eye, her smile. "Your brother is going to be just fine."

"Can we see him?" This was Mrs. Shindo's question.

"Of course. Right this way." Placing a hand on Hikaru's shoulder with his mother following behind, Dr. Enki led them to Sai's room. She opened the door.

In the middle of the room, Sai lay on the hospital bed. He looked a little thin and slightly pale to Hikaru, but the pained expression he had worn before was now gone, his face calm.

"The anesthesia should wear off soon, in at least a few hours," Dr. Enki told them. "Come and get me when he wakes up, okay?"

"Right," Mrs. Shindo agreed.

Hikaru said nothing, instead moving forward to a chair next to the bed, taking Sai's hand in his. _'Love you, Sai. I'm sorry.'_ He turned his gaze to the floor.

**HikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGo**

**Five and a half hours later: **

Sai stirred, his violet-blue eyes fluttering open as his vision adjusted to the blinding brightness of the hospital's white walls.

"Hikaru," he whispered softly.

Hikaru smiled for the first time that day. "Hey, Sai. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"That's good. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Hm... yeah..." Sai's gaze became captured by the room around him. "Hey, Hikaru, where am I?"

Hikaru chuckled softly. "We're in the hospital, remember? You had to get your appendix taken out."

"When can I go home?"

"I don't know," the boy admitted. "Dr. Enki hasn't told us when you can leave."

"Oh. Will I have to stay here alone?"

"I'll ask Mom and Dr. Enki if I can stay, but only if you promise to get some rest first, okay?"

"Okay."

Just then, Dr. Enki entered the room with Mrs. Shindo behind her. Both women smiled brightly as Hikaru helped Sai to sit up, being careful of the stitches that held his abdomen together for the time being.

Dr. Enki's kind smile stretched into a grin as she made her way forward, genuinely seeming pleased that Sai was awake.

"Hello, Mr. Fujiwara," she said. "It's good to see you awake. How are you feeling after your operation?"

_'Operation?'_ Sai thought. An image of the room he had been taken into after he was taken away from Hikaru crept into his head. There had been knives on the cart next to the operating table and a strange..... thing had been placed over his nose and mouth and then all had been black.

"Better, thank you," he replied.

"That's great," Dr. Enki said.

"When can I go home?" Sai asked, shifting his gaze to hers.

"We need to keep you over night for observation, but you'll be able to go home in about a week."

Sai gave her a small nod. "Can Hikaru stay?"

"It's okay with me," Dr. Enki grinned. "But we still have to check with your mother first, okay?" She turned to Mrs. Shindo. "It is okay with you, right?"

Anamiko smiled. "Of course. It's fine with me as long as Hikaru wants to."

"Mom! Of course I do!"

"Well, then it's settled." Dr. Enki plopped herself into the chair across from Hikaru's, a smirk setting her elfin features alight. "Hikaru, you can stay, but you're gonna have to make sure you're careful around your brother, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hikaru, I'm going to go to the house. You'll need a few things if you're going to stay here. I'll be back later. 'Bye, boys." She left, shutting the door behind her.

"'Bye, mom."

**HikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGoHikaruNoGo**

That night, Hikaru found himself roused from sleep by strangled screams. Opening his eyes slowly, Hikaru slipped off of the couch and made his way over to Sai's bed.

The former spirit was tossing and turning, his body soaked with sweat. As he shook violently, Sai cried out Hikaru's name, making the boy jump out of his skin.

Hikaru sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing Sai's shoulders. Sai flailed, but Hikaru shook his shoulders, telling him, "Sai! Sai! Wake up, Sai!"

The former spirit's eyes shot open, revealing wide violet-blue irises. "H-Hikaru?" he whispered.

"Yeah," the boy acknowledged. "I'm right here. What's going on with you, Sai? Are you all right?"

Sai whimpered softly, burying his head in Hikaru's shirt. Soon it was stained with tears.

Startled, Hikaru placed a hand to Sai's back, rubbing it in small circles. "Hey, Sai. Sai, it's okay. I'm right here."

Sai's tears continued to flow. "I had a nightmare," he admitted softly.

Hikaru wrapped the arm that wasn't rubbing Sai's back around his waist and started stroking his hair. "Yeah? What was it about?"

"They.. they wanted to kill me with those knives."

"What?!" Hikaru was concerned now. "Who?"

"The people who helped us today."

"What? The doctors?"

"Yes," Sai answered in a small voice. He buried his face in Hikaru's shirt, listening to the boy's heart beating. "I was afraid when they took me into that small room to fix whatever problem I had. You weren't there and they had all these knives on a table and I got scared and... and...." Sai broke down, the tears trailing down his cheeks even faster than before. "Hikaru, don't ever leave me again!"

"Oh, Sai," Hikaru murmured gently. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't be in there when they took care of you. It had to be done immediately and I wasn't allowed in. I'm sorry." He breathed deeply, fighting tears of his own-- guilty ones-- and pulled Sai into a soft hug.

"Huh? Hikaru, what are you doing?"

"J-just hug me, please," Hikaru whispered softly, finally letting the tears flow and mingle with Sai's. "I think we could both use a hug. I'm sorry. Love you, Sai."

"Hikaru," Sai's voice was calmer now, softer. "Hikaru, look at me." He raised the boy's chin slightly. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."

"I know. It's just... I knew you were afraid and I felt guilty 'cause I couldn't be by your side."

"Will you stay with me tonight, Hikaru?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure, if that's what you want," the boy replied.  
"Yes, that is what I want," the former spirit replied, moving over and motioning for Hikaru to lay down beside him.

Hikaru grabbed something off of the couch, then settled in next to Sai. "Okay, then."

"Hey, Hikaru?" Sai asked in a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"You won't leave, will you?"

"No. I promise I'll never leave you again if I can't help it."

Sai seemed satisfied with this answer. "Hey, Hikaru?" he asked again, nearly ready to fall asleep.

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

Hikaru smiled into the darkness. "Love you, too, Sai."

The two of them fell asleep peacefully with Rui between them.

The end.

**A/N: Whew! Finally finished! That took me WEEKS!!!!!!! With prom and stuff, I've been busy as heck! Hope u guys enjoyed it! Please review! ;b **


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